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Officials find virus in
Indiana
By Dave Stephens
Assistant
Campus Editor
The West Nile virus has been found in Indiana.
State Health officials have identified the virus
in a crow found in southeastern Marion County.
The West Nile virus is responsible for the death
of nine people in New York and New Jersey in 1999. It's also been known
to kill birds in Florida, Georgia, Virginia and Ohio.
This is the first time the virus, which is transmitted
by mosquitoes, has been identified in Indiana. However, no human cases
have been found within the state.
According to a press release, "although the
virus was found in Marion County, it could be present in mosquitoes
in other areas."
Marion County, where Indianapolis is located, is
about 60 miles southeast of Tippecanoe County.
Richard Kuhn, associate professor of biological
sciences, has been studying the family of diseases that include the
West Nile virus. Kuhn said that although the disease can be fatal, most
people have little to fear.
"It’s one of the lesser of the pathogenic
viruses," said Kuhn. "The chance of mortality is very low.
Those people who do succumb to West Nile are either the very young or
the old, the ones with immune system deficiencies."
Kuhn said people in good health, who become infected
with the disease, would probably not even know they are infected.
"Those people who are elderly are the ones
who are the most at risk," said Kuhn, "but the chance of being
bitten by an infected mosquito is very small."
Tom Turpin, professor of entomology, said the best
way to avoid mosquitoes is to wear repellent.
"If you're really worried about it, repellent
is basically the best option," said Turpin. "But this is probably
a widely exaggerated risk, not something I’d worry much about."
The Indiana State Department of Health lists symptoms
of West Nile virus that include fever, headache and body aches that
occasionally occur with skin rash and swollen lymph glands.
Additional symptoms that could indicate more severe
infections include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation,
coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, paralysis and rarely death.
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Officials
find virus in Indiana
CAMPUS DESK PHONE:
(765)
743-1111 ext. 253
Campus editor:
Laura Pelner
Assistant campus
editors: Kurt Esposito,
Dave Stephens
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